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How do YOU rate this book? Mindy McLaurin, thinks it's the end of the world when she's incarcerated on trumped-up embezzlement charges. While in jail, she investigates the death of an inmate who allegedly died of an overdose. Mindy suspects foul play when her cellmate dies and she learns that both women had ingested the same drug. Mindy trusts no one, including Drew Stone, the handsome counselor she can’t stop thinking about. She faces many challenges, including constant interrogation by the Major and emotional abuse from the other inmates. Upon release, someone is stalking her and framing her for the murder. Can she prove to Counselor Stone that she’s innocent of all charges before she loses him forever?
EXCERPT
Mitch was waiting for her in the visitation area. Mr. Blair, his attorney, at his side. Delacy ushered her to a glass-front cubicle. Mindy longed to touch Mitch, to draw strength from someone stronger than herself, but the glass made this impossible.
Mr. Blair smiled and nodded toward the phone. Mindy picked it up, anxiety making her a little light headed. She shivered as the cold hard plastic of the receiver came into contact with her ear.
"Hello, Mindy," the elderly attorney said. "It's good to see you again. I wish it were under better circumstances."
"Me, too." They'd come to get her. She was going home.
"I can't represent you. I'm semi-retired and handle mostly real estate transactions. This is out of my league, so I'm going to call a good friend of mine, Bill Sands, and ask him to get in touch with you. He's a good attorney."
"Thank you." Tears threatened to overflow.
"I need to ask you some questions though. Okay?"
Mindy nodded.
"What led up to your arrest?"
"A few days ago, I realized that someone had gone through my desk at work. The signature stamp I use to endorse payroll checks was missing."
Mr. Blair touched his mouth with the top of his pen. "Whose name was on the stamp?"
"My boss. His name is Mr. Warner. I kept a few personal items in my desk, like deposit slips for my own bank account. Someone used the stamp to endorse checks and then deposited them into my personal account." Embezzlement. What an ugly word.
"Any idea who did this?"
"I believe it was my boss' son, Rick. I've had a bad feeling about him from the time I met him. I don't trust him. When he moved back from out west, Mr. Warner gave him an executive position in the company and check cashing privileges."
"Why would he frame you?"
"He started writing big checks. Thousands of dollars. He was so afraid I'd tell on him that he threatened to have me fired."
Mr. Blair scribbled furiously on a yellow legal pad. "What'd he need all that money for?"
"I heard a rumor that he has a gambling problem and owes a lot of money to dangerous people."
"Anything else?" he asked.
"Do you have the money yet from selling Grandpa's house and land?"
"Any day now."
Mr. Blair had represented Mindy in the closing. She'd held back selling as long as she could, but the house was too large for her to maintain. The new roof and plumbing problems had almost drained her bank account.
Mr. Blair's eyes met hers. "I'll call Bill today with this information. He'll be in touch. Good-bye, Mindy. Take care." The sympathy therein spoke volumes. He handed the phone to Mitch.
"Hey, Baby," he said in a voice as smooth as milk chocolate.
"Hey."
Mindy's heart tugged when Mitch smiled. His good looks weren't lost on her. He could turn on enough charisma and charm to benefit him in any situation. "Mindy, honey. I'm sorry that you're in here, but I need your help. Do you remember the new case I told you about? The one where that young girl died of overdose."
Mindy's overloaded brain scrambled to keep up. She nodded.
Mitch ran his fingers through raven black hair. "Keep your eyes open, love. That client is paying me a lot of money for information about her daughter."
"I'll ask around when I go back to the pod. What time am I leaving?"
"Not today," Mitch said. "I need you. I need that information."
"You're not getting me out of here?" Mindy's voice rose to hysteria.
Mitch couldn't have slapped her in the face and hurt her more. Reality washed over her in a chilling wave. She wasn't going home. He was leaving her to work undercover.
Hot tears of anger blazed a trail down Mindy's cheeks, but she didn't care. "You're not going to leave me here," she spat, as if the demand itself had the power to force him to change his mind.
"Not for long, baby. You'll be okay. You're a strong woman. That's one of the things I love about you."
"Please don't leave me here, Mitch." Mindy's voice trembled. "You don't know what it's like back there. Please take me home. I just found my sister."
"Your sister? What are you talking about?"
"Remember? I told you I have a twin? I've got to get out of here so I can help her." Mindy placed her hand on the glass, the tears on her palm smearing her reflection. "Please, Mitch."
"It's not for long, baby. You'll be okay." His expression faltered for an instant and she thought he was about to change his mind. Just as quickly, his eyes hardened. "I've got to go now, baby. Take care of yourself."
Before Mindy had the chance to reply, Mitch replaced the receiver. She looked at Mr. Blair. Her face must have conveyed the terror and sense of abandonment she felt. His expression was one of sorrow and helplessness.
Mindy watched Mitch exit the room, his head high and step light. He never looked back.
"Yet another fantastic book from K. Dawn Byrd. When I initially read the book, I could not put it down, and I had to force myself to slow my reading and not skip anything. That was how anxious I was to find out the ending. Killing Time keeps you on the edge of your seat with various plot twists, but not once does the plot get convoluted. I think this is the mark of a superb suspense novel...I was pleasantly surprised by the way the mystery part of the story is resolved. The "villain" is an unlikely suspect, I never saw it coming. Typically, I like unusual endings, or at least endings with a twist, and this book certainly delivers. I think readers will be quite shocked at the end of the book. What happens? Well, you will have to read it to find out."
""Killing Time" has everything to keep the reader glued to the story...I have been honored to give my review and opinion of K. Dawn's wonderful imaginative story at her request. I could never give it the true justice due in my own meager words. She is the true author here. I can't wait until her next publication. She hasn't let me in on that secret yet...but I'm sure she will when the time comes."
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